This is my guide to rooting, backing up, and flashing ROM's on the D2. I have spent a lot of time lately posting replies into threads for doing this and I have been told that my method is very easy to follow. So I thought I would share with all.

Here is the "Nerdslogic" way of doing this including rooting, backup, and ROM flashing....ALL of this can be done from PHONE....no PC required

APPS you will need:Z4Root....free and I will get to that in a second
Astro File Manager (or similar) free in Market
AppInstaller....free in market (optional)
Titanium Backup (addressed under app backup and restore section)D2 Bootstrap Recovery.

It will download as a TXT file....just use Astro and rename the file to an APK by holding down on the file, select edit, rename, and just replace the last 3 letters (TXT) with APK

Go to menu, settings, applications, and check the box next to "Unknown Sources"

Use appinstaller to install Z4Root.

Open Z4Root and click "Permanent Root" if you select Temp your root will be gone when your phone reboots the next time.

The benefit to using Z4Root is should you need to unroot you just open the app and click "unroot"

Backing up your current ROM after root:

Open DX\D2 Bootstrap Recovery

Select top option and grant SU Permission....wait for "success" to pop up

Select second option....your phone will reboot

In this menu Volume up and volume down are your navigation and camera = enter....back arrow goes back a level or to previous menu

Navigate to Backup\restore

Select backup....this will take a while...wait till it says backup complete then navigate back to original menu....select reboot

This is a full backup....by doing this you can restore (flash) this backup and get your phone to the exact state it was in at this point....all you would do is unroot, remove a few apps, and you are totally stock and ready to return it should you need to. Of course you can always go the SBF route as well.

Backing up your apps for easy restore after ROM install on your D2:

Download Titanium Backup (your choice if you do free or Pro....I use pro for batch functions)

Run a COMPLETE backup of all user and system apps and data

NOTE: This complete backup and only be restored in it's entirety if you are running the exact same ROM (version and all) on the exact same device....in other words for all intents and purposes your phone has to be in the exact same state it was in when you made the back up for the restore to be successful. BUT....you can restore the apps on a new ROM if you select "missing apps and data"

THIS IS NOT A NANDROID BACKUP OR BACKUP OF YOUR ROM....THIS IS PURELY YOUR APPS AND DATA. FOR A FULL BACKUP OF ROM AND ALL SEE ABOVE PROCESS TITLED BACKING UP YOUR CURRENT ROM AFTER ROOT.

Flashing a new ROM on your D2:

Open DX\D2 Bootstrap Recovery

Select top option and wait for "success" to pop up

Select second option....your phone will reboot

In this menu Volume up and volume down are your navigation and camera = enter....back arrow goes back a level or to previous menu

select "wipe data/factory reset"

Select "yes----delete all data"

Hit back arrow

Select "choose zip from SDCARD"

Find and select ROM you are flashing....for example Liberty1.5 2 or X (depending on if you have a D2 or DX) and hit camera button....wait till install is complete

Use back arrow to get back to main menu and select reboot

That's it. If you bootloop after ROM install go back into recovery and wipe your davlik cache located in the advanced section. That should fix the loop.

Restoring your apps after install of a new ROM on your D2:

For the most part Google will take care of this when you open the market after your install. But for those apps no longer available or that aren't listed you can follow these steps providing you used my method to back them up with Titanium Backup.

Reinstall Titanium backup from Market

Open click "Backup/Restore"

Hit menu and select "Batch"

Select "RUN Restore missing apps with data"

Select apps you wish to install (I don't do all of them because sometimes it stores multiple versions of an app and I only want the newest ones)

Click "Run the batch operation

**It is recommended that you reboot after restoring your apps. I do this after every set of 20 or so. Reason being is your apps may require boot, wont work right till reboot, or simply wont show in your app drawer....if you experience bootloops after restoring your apps on a new ROM boot into recovery and wipe davlik cache located in the "advanced" section this has worked EVERY time for me in this situation**

One small thing. You don't need Astro. You can do the same thing with your files that comes preinstalled with the D2.

One big thing: Boot Straps and installing custom ROM's: There is something that is flawed in either the Boot Straps or clockwork. If you try to go back to stock by restoring your back up, it won't work. At least it won't work properly. I suggest you be prepared to sbf back to stock. It's simple and you can get it here: TBH & MyDroidWorld Present: Droid 2 (2.3.20) Triple Threat

Woot, it worked, but with a hickup. The first time I tried it, z4 ran for almost 10 minutes, then locked up. Pulled the battery and all was good. I turned on airplane mode, and ran z4 again, worked like a charm. This is my work phone and I think too much was going on. I got a few emails during the process.

ok so when i installed liberty i couldnt figure out how to get my contacts back, so then i reverted to old rom, then sync'd my contacts, then reinstalled liberty... except i forgot to wipe data before hand, now i am stuck on the liberty boot screen... now what?
thanks for the help

pull the battery and press and hold the power button and x key simultaneously. Wait till you see the not logo and release the power button but keep holding the x key. When you see Andy and the exclamation point, release the x key and press the keyboards search button. You will be in stock recovery. Then do a factory reset from there.

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